News & Analysis

Air freight carried by Asian carriers grew by a solid 12.8 percent in the first two months of the year compared to the same period in 2014, according to data from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).

The government of Hong Kong has approved the building of a third runway at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), announcing that it would fund the $18.2 billion expansion through internal funds, external borrowings and higher user fees.

Cathay Pacific and sister carrier Dragonair carried almost 30 percent more cargo in February than during the same month last year as the Hong Kong-based airlines added capacity to cope with the lunar new year surge in demand.

The air cargo industry is in a difficult transformation period as it struggles to adapt to a changing cargo mix and rising demands from customers for better shipment visibility and a more reliable service.

Lufthansa Cargo’s operating profit surged nearly 27 percent in 2014. The German carrier remained in the black for the fifth consecutive year despite a weak global air freight market that has pushed many of its rivals into the red.

Ericsson head of distribution logistics Robert Mellin took a swing at the air cargo industry that he said was delivering service levels well below expectations and was failing to evolve at the same pace as other modes of transport.

Forwarders are reporting a steady rise in shipper enquiries into the China-Europe rail route from higher value shippers looking for an alternative to expensive and often unreliable air freight and the lengthy ocean shipping.